The Glasgow proposals form part of the UK Future Airspace Strategy (FAS) driven by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

A key element of the plan involves removing ground-based navigation aids in favour of satellite systems.

Ground navigation aids used by Glasgow Airport, which guide the aircraft to and from the airfield, will be decommissioned in 2019.

Image copyrightGlasgow AirportImage caption
In this image of Glasgow's west runway, the pink lines are the current flight paths, the yellow lines are the tracks the planes are actually flying and the blue lines are the proposed new ones

Image copyrightGlasgow AirportImage caption
Every green line represents a departing aircraft track during a two-week period during summer 2016. The runway is the short black line in the middle

Supporters say the move to satellite systems will help reduce the time planes queue in the air and on the ground and reduce overall CO2 and fuel emissions.

Mark Johnston, operations director at Glasgow Airport, said: "The flight paths used at Glasgow Airport have not changed in over 50 years and, as is the case with the wider UK airspace infrastructure, they are simply no longer fit for purpose.

"We now need to ensure the way we manage our airspace matches the advancements that have been made in aircraft technology.

"Modern aircraft are now equipped to use satellite navigation, meaning they can fly more efficient, reliable and direct routes.

"In moving to this new system, not only will we be able to improve the punctuality of flights, we will be able to reduce the amount of fuel burn from aircraft at Glasgow by over 4,000 tonnes."